Wow What a Summer!!!

This has been one of the most incredible summer’s of my life!  It was great traveling the more than 5,000 miles to “reconnect” with so many beloved friends & family comrades!!  Traveling up to Rhode Island & Massachusetts, all over the Commonwealth of Virginia and then all the way down to South Miami Beach, Florida, made for quite the trek.  Of course the best part was indeed the people and making some great memories with “mi preciosa” Familia!!  Certainly more to follow.  Time to get Home so that I can get to my Chiro Doctor again and then get JAM to Senior Baseball practice.

FAM has returned (it has been more than an year- shame on me)

Major Milestones of Life

Sue Looks On - JAM Transitions to Boy Scouts!

Today is truly one of those for my Wife Suzannah:  Her 50th Birthday Celebration!  Half a Century of Life & Living is truly something worth celebrating!!  I certainly hope to make it there myself, in about 2 1/2 years.  One of the best things about today, is that I planned carefully to ensure that I was able to spend it with Her.  After our trek up to Northern Virginia and back in less than thirty hours, it is nice just to be able to hang out together today while our Kiddies are in School.  We both feel our age a bit today, but are excited about what the afternoon, evening and the rest of this new month brings . . .

Celebrating SUE – FAMDaddy

JUST ENJOY THE JOURNEY!!!

Along the Journey, We live the moments of Life.  Even at the most painful of circumstances, We have to fully realize that HE cares for Us and will indeed see us through!  Thus is the security and assurance that we dearly posess as Believers in the Almighty Creator of the Universe!!!

With Much Confidence & Eternal Security – FAMDaddy

Da FAMster Has Returned!!!

It most certainly has been a while for me.  After spending 14 weeks in a cast, I was certainly ready to return to doing the many things that I so much enjoyed last year.  Of course that would include writing here at my blog.  Plus with the return to my Graduate Studies (Educational Specialist Degree) today, I need every opportunity to refine those work & study skills that I been away from for so long now (since May of last year).  Working up to where I was last year may take a few more weeks, but at least I am well on the way now!

Several More Weeks to Go in a Cast (28 FEB 2009)

Seems Like Forever Ago . . .

Everything changed about seven weeks ago.  I returned to Active Duty in the NAVY.  It seems like I have been “on the road” ever since.  Continue to “blaze” across the Commonwealth of Virginia every week.  Yet I hope to “settle down” a bit more in the Tidewater area, once I finally make it to the middle of June.  Plus my Family will be joining me more over there, instead of my continually venturing back to CentVA.  Thus my Life may be winding down here, with the exception of fulfilling the call to continue as an Associate Baseball Chaplain to the Lynchburg HillCats, a Team and Organization that I am very fond of over these past eight years.  Did not realize that so many weeks had passed since my last posting on this Weblog.  Hope to return again, sooner than later!

                                            Still Around – FAMDaddy

Simple Reminder During Holy Week – Real Life

This is a very important week for Our Family and many others as well.   It is the very reflective Holy Week, as We remember & recall the Life of JESUS, during His final week,  before making the ultimate sacrifice for all of Mankind.  For simply put:  Life with CHRIST is an endless Hope, without Him a hopeless end.  Now there is certainly something to reflect on during this Holy Week and beyond!!!

                                                            From the Heart – FAMDaddy

                                                                   *I Peter 5:7*

Daylight Savings Time – No Need to Fret!!!

 This is a time of change for so many of us here in the United States.  Just yesterday we made the “leap forward” from Standard Time to Daylight Savings Time.  Many folks dread this time change, mainly because they complain about “losing that hour of sleep” on Saturday night into Sunday.  However, if You are part of a progressive, yet nostalgic Church Community, You can do something about, by suggesting this to Your Church Leadership.  My Wife Suzannah told me, “this is a novel idea and very timely!”  Please visit the link below to find out what I am talking about.  The link is as follows:

http://www.wset.com/news/stories/0308/502438_video.html

 

Does this not seem like a great opportunity for Congregations to do something a bit different, yet still conform to something that is important to do this time of year?  For those that have to get going before 0800 in the morning, this time change presents some other challenges, especially during these next two weeks.  Hang in there, as it will get better as our days get longer.  Yet at the same time, enjoy the extra daylight that is now into our evenings!  Soon we will be able to say farewell to Winter and hello to Spring & Summer!!

                                         Taking & Making the Time – FAMDaddy

                                                         famartinez@liberty.edu

 

                                               

Back Again from Phenomenal Gulf Coast Baseball Adventure!!!

Jason and I arrived back Home yesterday afternoon after a glorious trek to the Florida-Alabama Gulf Coast.  Can not even begin to describe the phenomenal Baseball & Ministry Weekend that it was for us.  At least five Souls came to know JESUS CHRIST as their Lord & Savior!!!  There were many great testimonies (Praise GOD) we were able to share, along with the sharing of Turner Ward and my great Brother & Friend, Bernie Carbo.  I have “tears in my eyes” and “goose bumps” on my arms just reflecting on this baseball weekend trek to the Gulf Coast!!

It will take me at least one more day to recover from all the soreness and tiredness, as I definitely “left it all” on that incredible Baseball Field (Hank Aaron Stadium), after four really good baseball games.  We did manage to sweep the Yankees and Bernie (Managing the Pre-Spring Training Red Sox) had me playing numerous places – centerfield, 1st Base, Right Field and pitching the final game against the Yankees (4 innings, two strikeouts, no earned runs, scattered five hits; well ahead of schedule for a February outing). I also hit the ball well each day, batting .333 for the Camp, with the highlight being a triple that I scorched down the right field line into the corner.  My arm and legs felt great and I was ready to pitch some more on Sunday afternoon, but our afternoon game against the Mobile Monarchs was canceled on account of the severe weather that was coming through the Mobile area in the afternoon.

It was a truly blessed weekend, especially seeing at least three of our Baseball Camp Comrades that had been coming for many years come to know the LORD, after hearing the message each of the previous Camps (now in 8th year).  Finally, GOD Almighty has brought in some truly welcome “Harvest!!”  Once I get over being exhausted, I will write more about this incredible Baseball Weekend that served to “launch” this 2008 Season for these Baseball Guys – FAM & JAM.                                    Still Enjoying da Game & Life- FAMDaddy

Counting The Hours!!!

Still way too much to do today, before even being ready to get on that Plane tomorrow with my Son!  After traveling through Atlanta, arriving in Pensacola and driving over to Hank Aaron Stadium in Mobile, I will be ready to play some baseball!!  The thrill of it all will really “hit me” when Jason and I are cruising down Satchel Paige Way and drive into the Players & Coaches Parking Lot at the Stadium.  Sounds like there is a DoubleHeader to be played Friday night and another one on Saturday.  If the weather cooperates, we will play another Game on Sunday, after Chapel.  Hopefully, I will have the opportunity to pitch and maybe even strike out a few Yankees?  That would make it all worthwhile, but even more so, if We can positively impact the lives of the folks that will be at Hank Aaron Stadium, for all of eternity!  Will try and give a full recap next Tuesday, after returning from this adventure!  May Your weekend be a really good one!!

                         Your Baseball Comrade – FAMDaddy

                  **It is now time for “Pitchers & Catchers to Report!!!**

Making Ready for That “Glorious Day” that Soon Will Be Upon Us!!!

The rigors of being a full-time Doctoral Student has ensured that most of my writing time & effort is being spent on the assignments for the required Coursework, especially if I desire to maintain a higher grade point average.  Guess that being said, in order to have more incentive to write here more frequently (at least once per week or more), I need to hear more from those of You that are reading this blog.  The best way to do that would be to either leave comments with this or other postings, or e-mail me at my Student/work e-mail address:  famartinez@liberty.edu .

Over the past several weeks, even with the demands of the Doctoral Program, my NAVY work with the Office of Naval Research Reserve Unit 105, and the blessed daily moments with the other three members of my Family Tribe, I have been able to maintain a fairly good workout routine in preparation for Our Baseball Camp & Baseball Ministry Event with the Diamond Club Baseball Ministry in Mobile, Alabama.  We will be traveling from Lynchburg to Atlanta to Pensacola, Florida (on Delta Airlines Flights) the next Friday morning (15 February).  Then we will drive over to Mobile to report for Baseball Duty & Fun at Hank Aaron Stadium!  Already told my Son Jason that I will awake Him early next Friday with those words that ring so beautifully in our ears: Pitchers and Catchers report!!!  It is like Life begins all over once again, with the arrival of Baseball Season!  We will participate in Games, mostly for us over thirty years old that need to get back on the field and like to help out with the Pre-Spring Training Baseball Development of a few at the Camp that may be reporting to Minor & Major League Workouts in the coming days.  I may likely have to pitch several innings as a lefty with a “rubber” arm that still has plenty of innings left in that left arm!  Jason will work out some with the Baseball warmups and maybe even take some batting practice, but mostly He will be working with the Clubhouse Manager & Assistant Clubhouse Manager.  He also gets to hang out and have fun with Bernie Carbo’s Grandson, as the two of them run all over the place and take in this awesome baseball atmosphere!  Jason is all “psyched” about cruising down “Satchel Paige Drive” as we work our way into the Player & Coaches Parking Lot of Hank Aaron Stadium!!  It should be a truly memorable weekend for My Son and I as we launch into another Baseball Season together.  It will be kinda surreal just putting on that Red Sox uniform again and hopefully striking out several Yankees!!Will let You know how it works out for us.  Like I said already, just a few more days until Life begins again!!!

Your Comrade in Baseball & Life – Felix (aka FAMDaddy)